INFORMATION

We hear so much about liberalism being a mental disorder.. so I started checking out some of the obvious ones.. here's what I found.

Freud argued that the human mind and personality are made up of three parts:

The id:
a primitive part of the personality that pursues only pleasure and instant gratification.

The mind of a newborn child is regarded as being completely "id-ridden", in the sense that it is a mass of instinctive drives and impulses, and demands immediate satisfaction. This view equates a newborn child with an id-ridden individual—often humorously—with this analogy: an alimentary tract with no sense of responsibility at either end.

The id is responsible for our basic drives such as food, sex, and aggressive impulses. It is amoral and egocentric, ruled by the pleasure–pain principle; it is without a sense of time, completely illogical, primarily sexual, infantile in its emotional development, and will not take "no" for an answer. It is regarded as the reservoir of the libido or "love energy".

The ego:
that part of the personality that is aware of reality and is in contact with the outside world. It is the part that considers the consequences of an action and deals with the demands of the id and superego.

The ego mediates among the id, the super-ego and the external world. Its task is to find a balance between primitive drives and reality [the Ego devoid of morality at this level] while satisfying the id and super-ego. Its main concern is with the individual's safety and allows some of the id's desires to be expressed, but only when consequences of these actions are marginal. Ego defense mechanisms are often used by the ego when id behavior conflicts with reality and either society's morals, norms, and taboos or the individual's expectations as a result of the internalization of these morals, norms, and their taboos.

The word ego is taken directly from Latin, where it is the nominative of the first person singular personal pronoun and is translated as "I myself" to express emphasis.

In modern-day society, ego has many meanings. It could mean one’s self-esteem; an inflated sense of self-worth; or in philosophical terms, one’s self. However, according to Freud, the ego is the part of the mind which contains the consciousness. Originally, Freud had associated the word ego to meaning a sense of self; however, he later revised it to mean a set of psychic functions such as judgment, tolerance, reality-testing, control, planning, defense, synthesis of information, intellectual functioning, and memory.

It is said to operate on a reality principle, meaning it deals with the id and the super-ego; allowing them to express their desires, drives and morals in realistic and socially appropriate ways. It is said that the ego stands for reason and caution, developing with age. Sigmund Freud had used an analogy which likened the ego to a rider and a horse; the ego being the rider while the id being the horse. The horse provides the energy and the means of obtaining the energy and information need, while the rider ultimately controls the direction it wants to go. However, due to unfavorable conditions, sometimes the horse makes its own decisions over the rocky terrain.

The superego:
contains our social conscience and through the experience of guilt and anxiety when we do something wrong, it guides us towards socially acceptable behaviour.

The super-ego tends to stand in opposition to the desires of the id because of their conflicting objectives, and its aggressiveness towards the ego. The super-ego acts as the conscience, maintaining our sense of morality and proscription from taboos.

The Sociopath

Antisocial behaviour..

Three or more of the following are required:

1. Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest.
2. Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeatedly lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure
3. Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead
4. Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults
5. Reckless disregard for safety of self or others
6. Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honour financial obligations
7. Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another.

Common characteristics of people with antisocial personality disorder include

• Persistent lying or stealing
• Recurring difficulties with the law
• Tendency to violate the rights and boundaries of others (property, physical, sexual, emotional, legal)
• Substance abuse
• Aggressive, often violent behavior; prone to getting involved in fights
• A persistent agitated or depressed feeling
• Inability to tolerate boredom
• Disregard for the safety of self or others
• A childhood diagnosis of conduct disorders - this is not a symptom but "a history of"
• Lack of remorse, related to hurting others
• Superficial charm
• Impulsiveness
• A sense of extreme entitlement
• Inability to make or keep friends
• Recklessness, impulsivity

• People with a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder often experience difficulties with authority figures
• research shows a high proportion of these traits amongst CEOs of major corporations

Dissocial behaviour

Specifically, the dissocial personality disorder is described by the World Health Organization by the following criteria:

1. Callous unconcern for the feelings of others and lack of the capacity for empathy
2. Gross and persistent attitude of irresponsibility and disregard for social norms, rules, and obligations.
3. Incapacity to maintain enduring relationships.
4. Very low tolerance to frustration and a low threshold for discharge of aggression, including violence.
5. Incapacity to experience guilt and to profit from experience, particularly punishment.
6. Marked proneness to blame others or to offer plausible rationalizations for the behavior bringing the subject into conflict.
7. Persistent irritability

Attempts to correlate dissocial personality disorder have had methodological problems.
Although a high percentage of prisoners in England and Wales were shown in one survey to fulfill the criteria for a dissocial personality, since the diagnosis of dissocial personality includes a disregard for social rules and norms, it is not surprising that the same individuals commits crimes.

According to one source on the Sociopath,

Some of the common features of descriptions of the behavior of sociopaths.

• Glibness and Superficial Charm
  
  
• Manipulative and Conning
  They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims.
  
  
• Grandiose Sense of Self
  Feels entitled to certain things as "their right."
  
  
• Pathological Lying
  Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities. Extremely convincing and even able to pass lie detector tests.
  
  
• Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt
  A deep seated rage, which is split off and repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.
  
  
• Shallow Emotions
  When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises.
  
  
• Incapacity for Love
  
  
• Need for Stimulation
  Living on the edge. Verbal outbursts and physical punishments are normal. Promiscuity and gambling are common.
  
  
• Callousness/Lack of Empathy
  Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others' feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them.
  
  
• Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature
  Rage and abuse, alternating with small expressions of love and approval produce an addictive cycle for abuser and abused, as well as creating hopelessness in the victim. Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others.
  
  
• Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency
  Usually has a history of behavioral and academic difficulties, yet "gets by" by conning others. Problems in making and keeping friends; aberrant behaviors such as cruelty to people or animals, stealing, etc.
  
  
• Irresponsibility/Unreliability
  Not concerned about wrecking others' lives and dreams. Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed.
  
  
• Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity
  Promiscuity, child sexual abuse, rape and sexual acting out of all sorts.
  
  
• Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle
  Tends to move around a lot or makes all encompassing promises for the future, poor work ethic but exploits others effectively.
  
  
• Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility
  Changes their image as needed to avoid prosecution. Changes life story readily.

Other Related Qualities:

1. Contemptuous of those who seek to understand them
2. Does not perceive that anything is wrong with them
3. Authoritarian
4. Secretive
5. Paranoid
6. Only rarely in difficulty with the law, but seeks out situations where their tyrannical behavior will be tolerated, condoned, or admired
7. Conventional appearance
8. Goal of enslavement of their victim(s)
9. Exercises despotic control over every aspect of the victim's life
10. Has an emotional need to justify their crimes and therefore needs their victim's affirmation (respect, gratitude and love)
11. Ultimate goal is the creation of a willing victim
12. Incapable of real human attachment to another
13. Unable to feel remorse or guilt
14. Extreme narcissism and grandiose
15. May state readily that their goal is to rule the world

NOTE: In the 1830's this disorder was called "moral insanity." By 1900 it was changed to "psychopathic personality." More recently it has been termed "antisocial personality disorder" in the DSM-III and DSM-IV. Some critics have complained that, in the attempt to rely only on 'objective' criteria, the DSM has broadened the concept to include too many individuals. The APD category includes people who commit illegal, immoral or self-serving acts for a variety of reasons and are not necessarily psychopaths.

The Psychopath

Psychopaths have only a shallow range of emotions and lack guilt, says Hare. They often see themselves as victims, and lack remorse or the ability to empathize with others. "Psychopaths play on the fact that most of us are trusting and forgiving people," adds Seto. The warning signs are always there; it's just difficult to see them because once we trust someone, the friendship becomes a blinder.

"Psychopaths don't discriminate who it is they lie to or cheat," says Seto. "There's no distinction between friend, family and sucker."

What you can do is look at how often someone lies and how they react when caught. Psychopaths will lie over and over again, and where other people would sincerely apologize, a psychopath may apologize but won't stop.

How do you make sure you don't get fooled when you're hiring someone to baby-sit your child or for any other job? Hire based on reputation and not image, says Willson. Check references thoroughly. Psychopaths tend to give vague and inconsistent replies.

They're our friends, lovers and co-workers. They're outgoing and persuasive, dazzling you with charm and flattery. Often you aren't even aware they've taken you for a ride -- until it's too late.

THE MALIGNANT PERSONALITY:

These people are mentally ill and extremely dangerous! The following precautions will help to protect you from the destructive acts of which they are capable.

First, to recognize them, keep the following guidelines in mind.

(1) They are habitual liars. They seem incapable of either knowing or telling the truth about anything.

(2) They are egotistical to the point of narcissism. They really believe they are set apart from the rest of humanity by some special grace.

(3) They scapegoat; they are incapable of either having the insight or willingness to accept responsibility for anything they do. Whatever the problem, it is always someone else's fault.

(4) They are remorselessly vindictive when thwarted or exposed.

(5) Genuine religious, moral, or other values play no part in their lives. They have no empathy for others and are capable of violence. Under older psychological terminology, they fall into the category of psychopath or sociopath, but unlike the typical psychopath, their behavior is masked by a superficial social facade.

The malignant type is a coward and will not expose himself or herself to personal danger if he or she can avoid it.

COMMON COLD

From the NIAID:

Sneezing, scratchy throat, runny nose—everyone knows the first signs of a cold, probably the most common illness known. Although the common cold is usually mild, with symptoms lasting 1 to 2 weeks, it is a leading cause of doctor visits and missed days from school and work.

Children have about 6 to 10 colds a year. One important reason why colds are so common in children is because they are often in close contact with each other in daycare centers and schools. In families with children in school, the number of colds per child can be as high as 12 a year. Adults average about two to four colds a year, although the range varies widely.

Seasonal changes in relative humidity may affect the prevalence of colds. The most common cold-causing viruses survive better when humidity is low—the colder months of the year.
Cold weather also may make the inside lining of your nose drier and more vulnerable to viral infection.

More than 200 different viruses are known to cause the symptoms of the common cold.

There is no evidence that you can get a cold from exposure to cold weather or from getting chilled or overheated.

There is also no evidence that your chances of getting a cold are related to factors such as exercise, diet, or enlarged tonsils or adenoids. On the other hand, research suggests that psychological stress and allergic diseases affecting your nose or throat may have an impact on your chances of getting infected by cold viruses.

You can get infected by cold viruses by either of these methods.

• Touching your skin or environmental surfaces, such as telephones and stair rails, that have cold germs on them and then touching your eyes or nose
• Inhaling drops of mucus full of cold germs from the air

Symptoms of the common cold usually begin 2 to 3 days after infection and often include

• Mucus buildup in your nose
• Difficulty breathing through your nose
• Swelling of your sinuses
• Sneezing
• Sore throat
• Cough
• Headache

Fever is usually slight but can climb to 102 degrees Fahrenheit in infants and young children. Cold symptoms can last from 2 to 14 days, but like most people, you’ll probably recover in a week.

If symptoms recur often or last much longer than 2 weeks, you might have an allergy rather than a cold.

Colds occasionally can lead to bacterial infections of your middle ear or sinuses, requiring treatment with antibiotics. High fever, significantly swollen glands, severe sinus pain, and a cough that produces mucus may indicate a complication or more serious illness requiring a visit to your healthcare provider.

There is no cure for the common cold, but you can get relief from your cold symptoms by

• Resting in bed
• Drinking plenty of fluids
• Gargling with warm salt water or using throat sprays or lozenges for a scratchy or sore throat
• Using petroleum jelly for a raw nose
• Taking aspirin or acetaminophen—Tylenol, for example—for headache or fever

Nonprescription cold remedies, including decongestants and cough suppressants, may relieve some of your cold symptoms but will not prevent or even shorten the length of your cold.

Moreover, because most of these medicines have some side effects, such as drowsiness, dizziness, insomnia, or upset stomach, you should take them with care.

Nonprescription antihistamines may give you some relief from symptoms such as runny nose and watery eyes, which are symptoms commonly associated with colds.

Never take antibiotics to treat a cold because antibiotics do not kill viruses. You should use these prescription medicines only if you have a rare bacterial complication, such as sinusitis or ear infection. In addition, you should not use antibiotics “just in case,” because they will not prevent bacterial infections.

Although inhaling steam may temporarily relieve symptoms of congestion, health experts have found that this approach is not an effective treatment.

There are several ways you can keep yourself from getting a cold or passing one on to others.

• Because cold germs on your hands can easily enter through your eyes and nose, keep your hands away from those areas of your body
• If possible, avoid being close to people who have colds
• If you have a cold, avoid being close to people
• If you sneeze or cough, cover your nose or mouth, and sneeze or cough into your elbow rather than your hand.
• Handwashing with soap and water is the simplest and one of the most effective ways to keep from getting colds or giving them to others. During cold season, you should wash your hands often and teach your children to do the same. When water isn’t available, CDC recommends using alcohol-based products made for disinfecting your hands.
• Rhinoviruses can live up to 3 hours on your skin. They also can survive up to 3 hours on objects such as telephones and stair railings. Cleaning environmental surfaces with a virus-killing disinfectant might help prevent spread of infection.
• 
  

MRSA

As you know, I work in a hospital and we are progressive in working around MRSA.. more so than many hospitals. Butler Hospital got some bad press earlier this year because of our % of MRSA patients. There was good reason for this.. we screen every patient on admission and discharge~ so we know who has it and who needs isolation.
Most hospitals don't screen patients unless they have a suspicious infection. We have a large percentage of nursing home patients and nursing homes (community living) is where you will find rampant MRSA.
Having MRSA is not the end of the world. There are worse things you may have to deal with.
I looked up some articles in the Mayo Clinic (my old tried and true favorite) and this is long, but worth the read if you are concerned that the next time you go to the grocery store you might get more than the best meat bargain.
By the way MRSA is pronounced "Mersa".


Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection is caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria — often called "staph." Decades ago, a strain of staph emerged in hospitals that was resistant to the broad-spectrum antibiotics commonly used to treat it.
Dubbed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), it was one of the first germs to outwit all but the most powerful drugs. MRSA infection can be fatal.

Staph bacteria are normally found on the skin or in the nose of about one-third of the population. If you have staph on your skin or in your nose but aren't sick, you are said to be "colonized" but not infected with MRSA. Healthy people can be colonized with MRSA and have no ill effects, however, they can pass the germ to others.

Staph bacteria are generally harmless unless they enter the body through a cut or other wound, and even then they often cause only minor skin problems in healthy people. But in older adults and people who are ill or have weakened immune systems, ordinary staph infections can cause serious illness called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA.

In the 1990s, a type of MRSA began showing up in the wider community. Today, that form of staph, known as community-associated MRSA, or CA-MRSA, is responsible for many serious skin and soft tissue infections and for a serious form of pneumonia.

Vancomycin is one of the few antibiotics still effective against hospital strains of MRSA infection, although the drug is no longer effective in every case. Several drugs continue to work against CA-MRSA, but CA-MRSA is a rapidly evolving bacterium, and it may be a matter of time before it, too, becomes resistant to most antibiotics.

Signs and symptoms
Staph infections, including MRSA, generally start as small red bumps that resemble pimples, boils or spider bites. These can quickly turn into deep, painful abscesses that require surgical draining. Sometimes the bacteria remain confined to the skin. But they can also burrow deep into the body, causing potentially life-threatening infections in bones, joints, surgical wounds, the bloodstream, heart valves and lungs.

Risk factors
Because hospital and community strains of MRSA generally occur in different settings, the risk factors for the two strains differ.

Risk factors for hospital-acquired (HA) MRSA include:
A current or recent hospitalization. MRSA remains a concern in hospitals, where it can attack those most vulnerable — older adults and people with weakened immune systems, burns, surgical wounds or serious underlying health problems. A 2007 report from the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology estimates that 1.2 million hospital patients are infected with MRSA each year in the United States. They also estimate another 423,000 are colonized with it.

Residing in a long-term care facility.
MRSA is far more prevalent in these facilities than it is in hospitals. Carriers of MRSA have the ability to spread it, even if they're not sick themselves.

Invasive devices.
People who are on dialysis, are catheterized, or have feeding tubes or other invasive devices are at higher risk.

Recent antibiotic use.
Treatment with fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin or levofloxacin) or cephalosporin antibiotics can increase the risk of HA-MRSA.

These are the main risk factors for community-acquired (CA) MRSA:

Young age.
CA-MRSA can be particularly dangerous in children. Often entering the body through a cut or scrape, MRSA can quickly cause a wide spread infection. Children may be susceptible because their immune systems aren't fully developed or they don't yet have antibodies to common germs. Children and young adults are also much more likely to develop dangerous forms of pneumonia than older people are.

Participating in contact sports.
CA-MRSA has crept into both amateur and professional sports teams. The bacteria spread easily through cuts and abrasions and skin-to-skin contact.

Sharing towels or athletic equipment.
Although few outbreaks have been reported in public gyms, CA-MRSA has spread among athletes sharing razors, towels, uniforms or equipment.

Having a weakened immune system.
People with weakened immune systems, including those living with HIV/AIDS, are more likely to have severe CA-MRSA infections.

Living in crowded or unsanitary conditions.
Outbreaks of CA-MRSA have occurred in military training camps and in American and European prisons.

Association with health care workers.
People who are in close contact with health care workers are at increased risk of serious staph infections.


Screening and diagnosis

Doctors diagnose MRSA by checking a tissue sample or nasal secretions for signs of drug-resistant bacteria. The sample is sent to a lab where it's placed in a dish of nutrients that encourage bacterial growth (culture). But because it takes about 48 hours for the bacteria to grow, newer tests that can detect staph DNA in a matter of hours are now becoming more widely available.
In the hospital, you may be tested for MRSA if you show signs of infection or if you are transferred into a hospital from another healthcare setting where MRSA is known to be present. You may also be tested if you have had a previous history of MRSA.

Treatment

Both hospital and community associated strains of MRSA still respond to certain medications. In hospitals and care facilities, doctors generally rely on the antibiotic vancomycin to treat resistant germs. CA-MRSA may be treated with vancomycin or other antibiotics that have proved effective against particular strains. Although vancomycin saves lives, it may grow resistant as well; some hospitals are already seeing outbreaks of vancomycin-resistant MRSA. To help reduce that threat, doctors may drain an abscess caused by MRSA rather than treat the infection with drugs.


Prevention

Hospitals are fighting back against MRSA infection by using surveillance systems that track bacterial outbreaks and by investing in products such as antibiotic-coated catheters and gloves that release disinfectants.
Still, the best way to prevent the spread of germs is for health care workers to wash their hands frequently, to properly disinfect hospital surfaces and to take other precautions such as wearing a mask when working with people with weakened immune systems.
In the hospital, people who are infected or colonized with MRSA are placed in isolation to prevent the spread of MRSA to other patients and healthcare workers.Visitors and healthcare workers caring for isolated patients may be required to wear protective garments and must follow strict handwashing procedures.

What you can do

Here's what you can do to protect yourself, family members or friends from hospital-acquired infections.
Ask all hospital staff to wash their hands before touching you — every time.
Wash your own hands frequently.
Ask to be bathed with disposable cloths treated with a disinfectant rather than with soap and water.
Make sure that intravenous tubes and catheters are inserted and removed under sterile conditions; some hospitals have dramatically reduced MRSA blood infections simply by sterilizing patients' skin before using catheters.
Preventing CA-MRSAProtecting yourself from CA-MRSA — which might be just about anywhere — may seem daunting, but these common-sense precautions can help reduce your risk:
Keep personal items personal. Avoid sharing personal items such as towels, sheets, razors, clothing and athletic equipment. MRSA spreads on contaminated objects as well as through direct contact.
Keep wounds covered. Keep cuts and abrasions clean and covered with sterile, dry bandages until they heal. The pus from infected sores often contains MRSA, and keeping wounds covered will help keep the bacteria from spreading.
Sanitize linens. If you have a cut or sore, wash towels and bed linens in hot water with added bleach and dry them in a hot dryer. Wash gym and athletic clothes after each wearing.
Wash your hands. In or out of the hospital, careful hand washing remains your best defense against germs. Scrub hands briskly for at least 15 seconds, then dry them with a disposable towel and use another towel to turn off the faucet. Carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer containing at least 62 percent alcohol for times when you don't have access to soap and water.
Get tested. If you have a skin infection that requires treatment, ask your doctor if you should be tested for MRSA. Many doctors prescribe drugs that aren't effective against antibiotic-resistant staph, which delays treatment and creates more resistant germs.

What's an Ejection Fraction anyway?

Wendell saw the GI specialist today.. all is good. No problems. The GI upset over the weekend was likely just the milk he drank that he said was lumpy, but didn't smell bad..so.. he drank it.

No comment here. Better to be mute on that issue.

I also saw my doctor today for a check up on the asthma.. he says I still have some wheezes, but not like before- I'm progressing in a right direction. I'll be on the inhalers till the snow flies, then wean off for the winter and start up again next March likely. HOORAY!

We discussed the results of my echocardiogram also that I had done this month. It was super.

No problems.. my ejection fraction is 70%... fabulous for my age. Most 40 yr olds can't have that good a reading. HAH! Well, I do have a minute amount of aortic stenosing but that is to be expected for me, and it's minimal and won't need watched for a few more years. He mentioned that I still have my murmur, but it's stable. The murmur was the reason I had the echo done in the first place. My dentist suggested that I check with my PCP to see if he still wanted antibiotics prior to any treatments, that the latest information is that SBE prophylaxis is not necessary. Well, let's see.. I take 2Grams of Amoxicillin once every 6 months to get my teeth cleaned.. versus the possibility of endocarditis which either will kill me or leave my heart majorly weak after months of the 'big gun' antibiotics.. I'll opt for the Amoxicillin. That's what the doctor said too.

Huh?? What's an ejection fraction?

Well, it's really quite simple..You have 2 systems in your heart. The top of the heart has 2 chambers called atrium that receive blood and the 2 lower chambers called ventricles pump blood out of the heart.

The left ventricle pushes oxygenated blood into arteries and from there it goes to your body.

Blood is received into the right atrium and pushes it into the right ventricle that pumps blood to the lungs where it picks up oxygen. It comes back to the left atrium and is then deposited in the left ventricle and the process continues over again. Valves in the heart prevent blood from backing up.. (regurgitation). When the left ventricle forces the blood out into the body, it is called ejection. It's a big pump, but not all the blood gets pumped out. There is always a little bit left behind for the next heart beat. The amount that is pumped out is called the ejection fraction and is expressed in a percentage.

Now don't you feel smart? Class dismissed.

SEPTIC SHOCK

Septic shock is a condition caused by an infection in the bloodstream (sepsis) in which blood pressure falls dangerously low and many organs malfunction because of inadequate blood flow.
There are several causes of shock, one of which is sepsis.
Septic shock occurs most often in newborns, people older than age 50, and people with a weakened immune system. People whose white blood cell counts are low (such as those who have AIDS or cancer or are receiving chemotherapy) and people who have a chronic disease (for example, diabetes or cirrhosis) are at greater risk of developing septic shock.
Septic shock is caused by cytokines (substances made by the immune system to fight an infection ) and by the toxins produced by some bacteria. These substances cause the blood vessels to widen (dilate), which results in a drop in blood pressure. Consequently, blood flow to vital organs—particularly the kidneys and brain—is reduced. This reduction in blood flow occurs despite the body's attempts to compensate by increasing both the heart rate and the volume of blood pumped. Eventually, the toxins and the increased work of pumping weaken the heart, resulting in a decreased output of blood and even poorer blood flow to vital organs. The walls of the blood vessels may leak, allowing fluid to escape from the bloodstream into tissues and causing swelling. Leakage and swelling can develop in the lungs, causing difficulty breathing (respiratory distress).
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Often, the first indications of septic shock are confusion and reduced mental alertness; these symptoms may be evident 24 or more hours before blood pressure drops. Other early symptoms may include a shaking chill; a rapid rise in temperature; warm, flushed skin; a rapid, pounding pulse; excessively rapid breathing; and blood pressure that rises and falls. Urinary output decreases. Tissues with poor blood flow release excess lactic acid into the bloodstream, causing the blood to become more acidic, which results in malfunction of many different organs. In later stages, the body temperature often falls below normal.
As septic shock worsens, several organs may fail. For example, the kidneys may fail, resulting in very low or no urine output and the accumulation of metabolic waste products (such as urea nitrogen) in the blood. The lungs may fail, resulting in breathing difficulties and a reduction in the level of oxygen in the blood. The heart may fail, resulting in fluid retention and swelling of tissues. Additionally, blood clots may form inside blood vessels.
To confirm the diagnosis of septic shock, a doctor may take and analyze blood samples. High or low levels of white blood cells, a decrease in the level of oxygen, a reduction in the number of platelets, excess lactic acid, and increased levels of metabolic waste products are all signs that a person may be in septic shock. A doctor may also use a fingertip sensor to monitor the level of oxygen in the blood. An electrocardiogram (ECG) may show irregularities in heart rhythm, indicating inadequate blood supply to the heart. Blood cultures are performed to identify the infecting organisms. Because there are other causes of shock besides sepsis, additional tests may be needed.
Treatment and Prognosis
As soon as symptoms of septic shock are apparent, the person must be admitted to an intensive care unit for treatment. Large amounts of fluid are given intravenously to increase the blood pressure. Drugs are given to increase blood flow to the brain, heart, and other organs. Extra oxygen is given. If the lungs fail, the person may need a mechanical ventilator to help breathing.
High doses of intravenous antibiotics are given as soon as blood samples have been taken for laboratory cultures. Until the laboratory identifies the infecting bacteria, two or more antibiotics are usually given together to increase the chances of killing the bacteria.
Any abscesses are drained, and any catheters that may have started the infection are removed. Surgery may be performed to remove any dead tissue, such as gangrenous tissue of the intestine. Despite all efforts, more than 25% of people with septic shock die.
(Merck Manual)

CLOUDY AND 44 DEGREES

It's nearly 3am.. I'm awake.. I fell asleep a while ago, but awoke with my fingers aching and refusing to bend without some degree of pain. It's the weather again.. seems to play a huge part in the aches and pains I experience.
I wont' be writing long.. it is mildly uncomfortable now to try to type on a keyboard.
Wendell had a better day yesterday. His GI problem seems to be alleviating now. Thanks for all your prayers on his behalf.
My grandmother had a treatment for diarrhea- barley or barley water. She boiled the barley and then drank the water.. it works. So for 2 days I've made chicken barley soup .. or maybe I should say Barley chicken soup? It had a LOT of barley in it. We like that grain so it was a pleasure to add twice as much to our soup. I'll be getting more in the near future. Wendell said he actually is feeling some better. That's a good sign.
Today, Monday, will be a busy one after the good rest we got yesterday. I'm gainfully employed, but have some responsibilities to deal with before I leave for work. One of these is making sure our new medical insurance cards get to the orthopedic surgeon. They arrived Saturday, and though it's just a name change and not a benefit change, it still has to be reported to our doctors. So, yesterday I sat down and figured out how to send a fax. Now I know that seems silly to you if you have a lot of computer knowledge, but for me it was a major accomplishment. The fax is in the computer and also on my printer. I had to bring up a program and fill out the information it required, and then I called one of the girls at work and sent a fax to them with the request that they return it so I would know it got through. I did it! Fabulous. Now I can just fax the card to the doctor.
I have been wanting to know how to fax with my equipment here because of the office also. I make 2-3 trips into town /week that would be unnecessary if I could make the fax work.. so tomorrow we shall see if it is feasable to do so. I'm all for time savers !
JJ sent me an email .. she says Palm Springs is unseasonalbly chilly, but sunny. Glad to hear it. She will attend her seminar today and then do some sight seeing while they are there .. they arrive home late Wednesday night. Pray for a safe journey if you would.
I'm headed back to bed.. I hope I can go back to sleep.Morning comes swiftly, and I want to have enough rest to make it to midnight.
Be careful if you are driving tonite.. dense fog warning out there..

NOROVIRUS

Norovirus is also known as 'stomach flu', but is not influenza. The norovirus is rampant here where we live and has caused at least one unit of the local hospital to cease admissions until proper sanitation could be applied.

It can affect anyone and there is no vaccine or immunization available.

Symptoms are the acute and severe onset of vomiting and non-bloody diarrhea. One is contagious from the onset of symptoms to three days after symptoms subside, but sometimes up to 2 weeks. If you handle food, you shouldn't do so for 3 days after you recover from the bug.

What can be done? Wash your hands frequently.. and foods.. fruits and veggies.
Use household bleach to clean surfaces that might have been contaminated. Also, bed linens need to be washed in hot soapy water and dried in a dryer.

Norovirus causes loss of fluids from the body and electrolytes. Dehydration can be a real problem. Replace fluids orally as soon as you are able.

Stay healthy!